Party-line ringing-key.



R. H. MANSON.

PARTY LINE RINGING KEY. APPLIOATION rum APR.17, 1909.

Paltented Mar. 7, 1911.

lave/17hr Ray h. fife/won fills Afibmey furnishes an BAY MANSON, or

UNITED "STATES. I I ENT OFFICE.

ELYRIA, orno, nssrsnon 'ro THE-DEAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, or

ELYRIA, 01110, A CORPORATION or 01110.

PARTY-ZINE RINGING-KEY.

Speciflcation of Lettersl'atent. P t t d Man 7,1 11;

' Applicatiomfiled April 17,1908. Serial No. 490,509.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY H. MANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvemehts in Party-Line Ringing-Keys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

Thisinvention relates more particularly to a key structure. consisting of inter-related plunger keys for party line or inter-communicating systems.- sitions the normal position, the intermedi-- ate position in which contacts are closed and in which the key is held by a catch, and the third or way-down position, in which other contacts are closed. *hen the plungers are caught and retained in a depressed position, the subsequent depression of any other plunger, releases those which have been caught and held down. In general, such a key structure has been disclosed and patented in patent granted to me May 12, 1908, No. 887,260.

In the practical use of these keys I have found hat in several particulars the construction and the operation admit of improvement, and it is with this purpose in view that I have made this invention.

More particularly I find that when the contacts are worn or otherwise disarranged,

owin to the factthat the contact end of .the

switc springs is in the interior of the easing, the bank of keys must be disassembled to get at them, and, if I reverse the. springs so that the contacts will be at the exterior of the casing, the lead conductors passing through the structure 'to the other end of the spring, will impede the operation. To obviate this difliculty,-I reverse the position of the contact springs so that the contact ends will be accessible at the rear of the'bankof keys. I then bend over the other end of the contact spring and extend it in a direction substantially parallel to the body of the spring, making a contact terminal in proximity to the other end of the spring. 1 This arrangement in which both the contact portion and the terminal of the spring are readily accessible at the Each key has several pol rearof the bank. To reach these I lift up the top of the switchboard, or open the telephone case, where this bank is used in an intercommunicating system. I have also found that the-pins, or other friction surfaces, wear aw y the catch plate so that in time the two a r derogates from the efiiciency of the operae out of adjustment. This tion, and in time prevents the operation altogether, asthe groove cut by the pin, is

opened in the bent portion of the catch plate-above'the proper intermediate position for the key, so that the contacts are-not closed when the key is resting in the second position. 'The plunger is returned from way-down position to the intermediate position by the joint action of the-plunger spring and a spring-pressed catch. I 'find that thefriction between thebearin which'have been used, is so great that t e efiect of the pressure exerted by the catch sprin is argely ineffective. To obviate these ifii culties, I provide a frictionless bearing between the plunger and the catch plate. In

the specific embodiment of the invention shown 1n the drawings, Ishow a rotative member, preferably a roller, on the plunger which enga es the catch plate when the plunger, is epressed. I make the catch member on the plunger broad enou h to present a large area contacting wit the catch plate. This reduces the wearing of the plate. When in the way-down osition, the roller bearin so it'ma'y be rea ily'retu'rned to the intermediate position when released.

In the assembling ofthe frame and keys, I-provide a. m'ain frame which consists of alone engages t e plateone punching, having both ends and a top side bent up, forming a four-sided frame piece. To this is attached a box-shaped member in which the. plunger spring is housed, and against which one en of the spring bears. The upper end of this member is cut away, forming. a groove through.

which the plunger passes. cross-section shaped member passes through A rectangular this groove, preventing the plunger from rotating. v

My invention will be best understood by reference tothe following description when taken in connection with the" accompanying illustrations, showing one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly. pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bank of keys of my invention.

' embodin'ient of my invention there .shown,

' 2 is the main plate which is attached to the .telephone box or switchboard.

l is an escutcheon plate fastened to the main plate.

3 is the main part of the framework which is made from a single piece of metal having three of its edges bent up and which is attached by one of these edges to the main plate 2.

The catch plate 4 is pivoted in the open face of the main part of the frame as shown in Fig. 1. The catch plate is cut away to furnish edges which retain the plungers in depressed positions. The bracket 5 is fastened to one end of the member 3 and to this isattached a leaf spring 6 which always presses the catch plate in the'direction of the plungers. The plungers themselves consist of a shaft 7 which passes through the main plate and the top of the member 3' into the box-shaped case 10. The lower end of the plunger passes through the bottom of the member and terminates in an insulation button 9. The spiral spring 8 wound around the shaft of the plunger and bearing against the bottom of the member 10 at one'end and against a member 11, fast to the plunger shaft at the other end. tends always to return the plunger to its uppermost position. J'ournaled in the member 11 is a roller 12 which is adapted to engage the catch plate 4 when the plunger is depressed. The'lower part of the member 11 is formed in the shape of a cam catch which is adapted to engage the catch plate 4 and to catch against the edges of the opening in the catch plate A buffer 14 is placed upon each plunger to protect the blow of the engagement between the plunger and the top of the frame 3. The contact springs are shown at 15 and 18. The springs 15 terminate in bus bar terminals 19. The ends of the springs 18 are bent over and drawn out in a direction substantially parallel to the contacting the catch plate engages the catch .on the plunger to retain it in that position; should I depress the plunger farther, the ringing contacts will be closed and the roller bearing engages the plate, rockingit on its pivot.

\Vhen released from the way-down position,

the tension of the leaf spring, together with the plunger spring, returns the plunger to its intermediate position. It will be held there until a second plunger is depressed which action rocks the plate to release the first depressed plunger.

lVhile I have shown my invention in this particular embodiment, it is evident that I may embody it in any of the well known forms of key banks; and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that numerous and extensive departures may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, the same being herein shown solely for the purpose of clearly illustrating one specific embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a switchmechanism, a frame, switch operating means mounted in said frame,

switch springs mounted in said frame withtheircontacting parts exposed at the rear of said frame. terminals for said switch springs extending substantially parallel to said springs and exposed in proximity to said cont-acting portions.

2. In a switch mechanism, a frame, switch operating means mounted in said frame, switch springs having their contacting ends exposed at the rear of said frame. mounted in said frame. the other end of said springs being attached to the frame, and terminals for said springs exposed to therear of the contacts.

3. In a-switch mechanism, a frame, switch operating means mounted in said frame,.

switch springs mounted in said frame, having both ends extending in the same direc* tion and exposed at the rear of said frame. one end forming a contacting surface and the other a lead terminal. and means for fastening the middle of said spring to said frame. I

4. In a switch mechanism, a frame, 8. casing attached to sald frame,'a. lung r adapted to be depressed through said casing, a spring in said casing bearing against said plunger and casing, and adapted to'return said plunger to normal position, a groove in said casing, and means on said plunger operating in said groove to prevent said plunger rom rotating.

In a switch mechanism, a frame, plungers mounted in said frame, means for catching and retaining said plunger-s when depressed, means on said plungers for engaging and operating said catching means to release any previously depressed plungers, contact springs operated by said plungers', the contact portion of said springs exposed at the exterior of said fran'ie and tern'unals for said springs exposed at the exterior of said frame, proximate to the contacting portions.

(J. In a switch mechanism, a frame, switch operating means mounted in said frame, switch springs having contact carrying ends exposed at the rear of said frame, said springsdoubled over and attached at their middle to the frame, the other ends extend- 2o 1 1n I rying terminal parts.

g rearward beyond the contacts, and car- '7. In aswitch mechanism, a. frame, switch operating means mounted in said frame, switch springs having their contact parts ex- 25 posed at the rear of said frame, said springs doubled back and attached at an intermediate point to said frame and bearing terminal parts at the other ends, said terminal part hearing ends extending to the rear of 30 the frame beyond the contact bearing parts.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAY 1-1. MANSON.

\Vitnesses:

THERESA M. LIBBY. 

